Azuchi Castle

Azuchi Castle (安土城, Azuchi-jō) was one of the main castles of Oda Nobunaga and stood in the Azuchi neighborhood of the city of Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture. Built between 1576 and 1579 on Mount Azuchi by the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in Ōmi Province, the castle was close enough to Kyoto to protect the capital but far enough away to avoid its frequent fires and conflicts. Its strategic location also helped control important routes between Nobunaga’s enemies to the north, east, and west.

The castle played a major role in Japanese history and was demolished in 1582 after Nobunaga’s assassination during the Honno-ji Incident by Akechi Mitsuhide. Many experts believe Azuchi Castle started a new style of castle building in Japan, leading to the early modern castles of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. This important time in Japanese history is partly named after Azuchi Castle.

History

Azuchi Castle was built on the shores of Lake Biwa for Oda Nobunaga, starting in 1576 and finishing in 1579. Unlike older castles, it was designed not just for defense but also to impress visitors with its beautiful rooms, art, and a lively town nearby.

The castle’s tall tower, called a tenshu, was seven stories high and beautifully painted with tigers and dragons. It had thick stone walls and was built in a strong position high above the lake. Nobunaga also created a town around the castle with homes for his soldiers and common people, offering special protections to encourage people to live there. The castle was an important place for meetings and special events, showing Nobunaga’s power and wealth.

Architecture and design

Azuchi Castle featured important paintings of Confucius and other wise figures, showing that its builder, Oda Nobunaga, was thinking more about ruling and keeping peace than just fighting.

In 1976, a Japanese expert named Akira Naitō described what he thought Azuchi Castle looked like. He said the main tower, called the tenshu, was about 46 meters tall and had a shiny, eight-sided belvedere on top. He also thought there was a big open space inside the castle, called an atrium, that reached from the bottom to the fourth floor, possibly inspired by the Jesuits. But the exact design of Azuchi Castle is still being discussed by experts.

Azuchi screens

The Azuchi Screens were a special set of six folding screens that showed pictures of Azuchi Castle and the nearby town. Oda Nobunaga gave these screens as a gift to Pope Gregory XIII, and they were shown in the Vatican collections, where many people admired them. Sadly, the screens disappeared and their whereabouts remain a mystery today. They were very important in the history of Japanese folding screens.

Modern times

Today, only the stonework of Azuchi Castle remains. However, a reproduction of the castle's main tower can be seen at Ise Sengoku Village, a samurai theme park near Ise. Additionally, a full-scale replica of the top floors of the tower is displayed at the Nobunaga no Yakata Museum close to where the original castle once stood.

In 2006, Azuchi Castle was chosen as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation.

In popular culture

The building of Azuchi Castle was the main idea behind a 2009 movie called Castle Under Fiery Skies. The movie was based on a novel by Kenichi Yamamoto and was directed by Tanaka Mitsutoshi.